Writing in the Community

"Insightful, provocative statements made by the authors of this timely work. . . . All of the chapters are well worth reading and discussing, especially in graduate course seminars or in meetings bringing together those who share the rights and responsibilities of communicating within and across communities. . . . Writing in the Community has much of interest to offer both social scientists and professionals in charge of community/administrative decision-making." --Discourse & Society "Presents a wide range of approaches toward writing. . . . Themes like roles and values in writing, community publishing and self-education, and adult writing practices in everyday environments offer sustenance to educators with a range of interests." --Adult Learning We all know that literacy belongs to the education system--or does it? In Writing in the Community Barton and Ivanic contend that literacy is, in fact, embedded in the activities of ordinary living, a basic component of our everyday lives. Along with an internationally recognized team of scholars, they examine writing practices outside of education settings, focusing on the way communities define, value, and use writing. At the forefront of this burgeoning area of study, Writing in the Community explores sociocultural, historical, linguistic, and ethnographic approaches to literacy, and provides avenues for research and development. As such, this timely volume will interest anyone in communication and sociology, as well as community workers and teachers of writing.